My black lab just turned ten and is still up for a nice run whenever. What is the rule of thumb for an appropriate run that is a nice benefit for the dog, yet not too much? If I go out for a hour and a half run he probably would run til he drops but I obviously could drop him off after a half hour, for example, and complete my planned time.
i have a friend that takes his lab(somewhere around 5-7yrs) with him up to an hour but also brings water for the dog. i guess i’m really of no help here. i’m getting a vizsla pup next month and the breeder/owner says 30 minutes a day is more than good for him and he’s a bird/hunting dog that’s used to running.
A lot of how long you should run your dog depends on its current shape, temperature, and pad condition. My three yr old Vizsla can easily run up to an hour with me in cooler weather (under 70), but in TX it’s going to hit mid- 90s today and I wouldn’t take her more than 30 minutes. If your dog hasn’t been running much, it’s pads need to be slowly toughened up before you expect it to safely keep up for longer runs and you should treat it’s* training* like you do your own…slowly build up. Keep in mind that once a dog gets endurance built up, they will look forward to the exercise and can be a pain in the butt if they don’t get it. If you notice that you start to drag your dog, then its time to stop or at least walk. They can go into heat stroke faster than most people realize.
I would go by whatever your dog feels comfortable with.
If he’s starting to tire after 1/2 hour, then run him for that. If he’s still full of energy for 1 1/2 hours and doesn’t seem any worse for wear afterwards, then I see no reason why he couldn’t continue to run that.
It’s the younger dogs, particularly in larger breeds/breeds prone to dypslasia that I really worry about age and running with, if they are over-exercised before their joints have closed.
If it helps, I run my 6 1/4 year old German Shepherd regularly - his longest run is just over 39k (this spring) and he does ultra-distance hikes just fine. It’s all conditioning, IMO, but I also haven’t had the experience of a dog aging. I do have another German Shepherd with dysplasia and arthritis problems though, and I need to monitor not only how she is during exercise but afterwards.
Like others have said, watch your dog for signs of wear and tear. Take him for a good hour long run and use that as a milestone. In the morning post run, is he/she sore or stiff? How are the pads? How is he/she sleeping?
My 4 year old Border Collie has done 50km with me (30 km mtb/20 km run) and still wants to chase her ball when we are done.
As someone else mentioned, weather is also a huge determining factor. I like to run near lakes or rivers so my dogs can soak and take a break and cool off. Just be careful not to overwater them, as this can cause severe stomach issues.
My labs are 8 & 9 years old. the nine year old is only good for about 2.5 miles until she begins to slow down. She’s a cancer survivor and had to have her shoulder dislocated for radiation treatments about 5 times and that stretched all the tendons. The 8 year old is still good for 6 miles but he recently sliced open the top of his paw and it’s not healing very quickly. We are post injury by 8 weeks and he still favors the other leg. Looks like my long run days with the pups are coming to an end. I will still take them on lots of good walks and hikes though.
Dave
I’ve had three Vizlas - when the two boys were young, they would tag along on 22 mile mountain bike rides and still have enough gas in the tank to keep up at the end. At 11 years - the surviving one could go on 2 hr. rides with me (keeping in mind my engine and skills had diminished over those 10 years - so he got more breaks as I picked myself off the ground).
I currently have a 9 y/o (I think - she’s adopted) female who goes on trail runs with me. One day last spring we ran 16 miles with over 5,000 ft. of elevation gain/loss, and she did the whole thing with a stuffed animal in her mouth, no problem.
So as others have said - just get a feel for what your dog can do and work from there, you’ll be able to tell when it has had enough.
You should probably check with your vet. They would know your specific dogs abilities and what is healthy for the breed in general.
I’ve had many dogs over the years: labs, a terrier, a dalmatian to name a few.
Dalmatians are tops as running partners. They were bred as carriage dogs. For centuries the dogs with the best conformation and wt./leg length for continuous running were bred together to achieve the best result. Beagles are similarly bred for distance running while chasing down deer and foxes.
Terriers were bred for short dashes and digging.
Labs were bred to fetch ducks out of the water, not for running steadily for even half an hour or more.
Your lab loves you and will run beyond hurting himself. He’s not bred for endurance running and at 10 years old he is by some calculations, 70yrs old in human terms.
If you love him, take him for a nice walk twice daily, but don’t run him.
I wouldn’t run him at his age. He may want to run about, but in short dashes from one scent to the next, or to catch up with another dog, but he probably won’t naturally run continuosly for even 30 minutes.
If you do this I believe you will tax his heart.
Check with your vet.
PoC
not to highjack the tread, but how do those with vizslas like them?
Our vizsla (female) is for the most part a great pet. I had the best intentions of hunting with her, but that just hasn’t panned out due to my time limitations. The breeder we purchased our dog from takes her vizsla hunting everything from pheasant to waterfowl. Vizslas are known as the “velcro dog” for a reason. Ours wants to be around us, sometimes literally touching part of us ALL THE TIME. They are also bad counter surfers. They are very clean and don’t shed anywhere near as much as most retrievers. They are very protective, trainable, and good around kids if you introduce them to kids early. They definitely need their exercise and can become a nuisance if they don’t get it.